ダメ元 (dame moto): The 'give it a shot' trick, you might get lucky! 🤩

Have you ever faced an opportunity, an offer, or an intention and the voice in your head kept saying "It probably won't work..."?

For example:

• Applying to a "top-tier" company that seems out of your league.
• Asking out someone you've had a crush on for a long time.
• Proposing a slightly "crazy" idea in a meeting.

In such moments, the Japanese have a "magic spell" to reassure themselves and push forward: 「ダメ元」(dame moto).

What is "dame moto"?

Let's break it down:

• ダメ (dame): No good, failure, useless.
• 元 (moto): Originally, from the start.

=> ダメ元 (dame moto) can be understood as "assuming from the start that it might fail."

In other words, this is the philosophy of acting with the mindset: "Just give it a try, because I already think it won't succeed anyway. If it works out, great; if not, I lose nothing!" 😎

This is an extremely effective mental remedy to overcome the fear of failure.

How to use it "coolly" in daily life

「ダメ元」 is often paired with the verb form てみる (to try doing something).

🗣️ When you want to ask someone for a difficult favor:

「ダメ元でお願いしてみる。」 (Damemoto de onegai shitemiru.) I'll just ask, can't hurt to try.

💼 When you want to propose a bold idea:

「会議でダメ元で言ってみようかな。」 (Kaigi de damemoto de itte miyou kana.) Maybe I'll just throw this idea out there in the meeting, see what happens.

💌 When you want to confess or ask someone out:

「ダメ元で告白するだけしてみる！」 (Damemoto de kokuhaku suru dake shitemiru!) I'll just confess without expecting anything! (Says so, but deep down, hopes for the best 😂)

The subtle point of「ダメ元」

Unlike blindly rushing into something, a person using 「ダメ元」 is fully aware that the success rate is not high.

It's not confidence, but optimism in a disadvantageous situation. It helps you lower your expectations, reduce psychological pressure, and dare to do things you normally wouldn't do.

So, next time you hesitate before a decision, remember the spirit of「ダメ元」. Who knows, a surprising door might open just because you dared to "give it a shot"! 😉